Safety

After school programs started by Boys & Girls Clubs saw drops in drug use by 22%, juvenile arrests by 13%, and vandalism by 12.5%.

Education

A national study found that over 40% of students attending afterschool programs improved their reading and math grades.

Health

In one study, 67% of parents reported that their child got at least 30 minutes of physical activity during a typical day in their afterschool program.

Socio-Emotional Development

A Boys & Girls Club study showed 82% of teens in the after school program took part in leadership roles such as student council or being in charge of activities.

Boys & Girls Club of Newark's Impact

For children living in urban areas, having a safe place to go after school can change everything. There is growing evidence from around the country that children and youth who attend afterschool programs do better in school, are safer, and are less likely to get into trouble in the hours after the end of the school day.

We saw a 13% increase in children who reported being interested in learning new words after spending just a semester at BGCN.

The percentage of children enrolled in our summer program who read 7 days a week increased by 63% since the beginning of summer.

We found a 29% increase in children who reported feeling equipped to figure out for themselves how to improve on their work after a semester at BGCN.

The Boys & Girls Club of Newark's Approach

Our programs take into consideration the context in which our members live and grow every day. While the city of Newark has made exponential progress in the areas of preschool enrollments, high school graduation rates, and juvenile arrests, there is still work to be done. Pervasive poverty still persists, with nearly three quarters of Newark’s children living in families who earn too little to pay the rent, buy food, and afford quality childcare. We provide a safe haven where children and their families get the extra support they need in the face of uncertainty to thrive.